Elson Family from Curtis to Receive Outstanding Family Award Saturday During UNK Family Days Activities

Jami Schaffnitt
coordinator of student activities at the Nebraskan Student Union, 308.865.8523

The family of Lisa Elson of Curtis  has been chosen to receive the 2005 Outstanding Family Award at the University of Nebraska at Kearney this weekend.

UNK Chancellor Doug Kristensen will present the award to the Elson family during the luncheon (at 11:15) on Saturday, Nov. 5.

According to Jami Schaffnitt, UNK coordinator of university/student activities, it is a UNK tradition on honor a UNK student’s family with the Outstanding Family Award during Family Day activities each fall on the campus. The award is based on a short essay indicating what the student most admires about his or her family, and how family members have encouraged the student’s academic pursuits and served as role models.

In Elson’s nomination, she wrote: “My immediate family consists of four remarkable females…they have always been there for me, which inspires me to work hard to achieve my goals. My family has the ability to laugh and have fun, which adds to our close family relationship.”

A sophomore honors student, Elson is a member of the UNK Track and Field Team and a sports administration major. In addition to her immediate family, 12 of Elson’s aunts, uncles and cousins have attended UNK.

Her mother Lorinda is a Kearney State College/UNK graduate currently working for UNL Extension in the Nutrition Education Program. Her oldest sister Anita has a master’s degree in speech pathology from UNK and is working in Columbus. Her sister Jody will graduate from UNK with honors in May and plans to attend medical school.

For having the winning family, Elson will receive a $200 scholarship from LPAC, $100 in dining points from Chartwells, a free lunch for her family, and a Loper Sweatshirt from the Nebraskan Student Union Welcome Desk.

Other students who nominated their families, listed alphabetically by hometown, include:

Cambridge-
 Brandon Laue
         Chambers- Amber Fairbrother
         Curtis- Lisa Elson
         Elm Creek- Sarah Marshall
         Eustis- Brooke Young 
Falls City-
 Dearra and Dustin Johnson         
         Fremont- Callie Erickson 
Hartington-
  Ross McGregor 
Imperial-
  Taylor May and Michelle Dill 
Kearney-
  Emily Murdoch 
Lexington-
  Nohad Maloley 
Lincoln-
  Alisha and Amber Nabity, and Amanda Davis 
Omaha-
  Timothy Franco and Natalie Peterson 
Orleans-
  Abby Simpson 
Papillion-
  Ashley Harmsen 
Ravenna-
  Brad Bohn 
Red Cloud-
  Heather Hammond 
Tilden-
  Deniece Oelsligle 
Wood River-
  Angela Reynolds